What if they met earlier?
by CaskettCoffeeAlways
Summary: Someone requested a Merthan high school fic, so I tried to write one. I'm not a fan of high school fics myself, so I don't know if this is any good, but give it a try. Meredith is a senior in high school and has a complicated relationship with her mother. She spends most of her time with her friends Cristina and Alex.


**AN: Someone requested a Merthan high school fanfic, so here it is. I'm not a fan of high school fics, so this might not be that good, but give it a try** **?**

Meredith was a senior in high school. She had a dysfunctional relationship with her mother, Ellis, which her stepdad, Richard, constantly tried to fix, but both Meredith and Ellis thought that they were better off without eachother. Meredith's relationship with her biological dad, Thacter, wasn't good either, he was more interested in his two other daugthers.

Ellis and Richard had a daugther, Maggie, she was five years younger than Meredith and had good relationship with both her parents. Meredith liked her little sister, but she was jealous of her since their mother liked Maggie more. Maggie loved her big sister, and always wanted to tag along. She was really smart, and had skipped a grade, so she was a freshman in high school.

Meredith's best friends were Alex Karev and Cristina Yang, she liked spending time at their home better than at her own home. The three of them weren't exactly the teacher's pets. They didn't do their homework or bothered to show up for classes like geography. They were good at biology, but that was about it.

One day when Meredith, Alex and Cristina were heading to 'their' table in the cafeteria, they found a guy sitting there. This never happened, because everyone knew that you don't just sit down at their table.

"Move" Cristina said as they reached the table.

"Excuse me" The guy said and looked up.

"This is our table." Alex said.

The guy looked at Meredith, since he figured that she had something to say as well. But she didn't say anything. She just looked at the guy. He was the cutest guy she had seen at this school.

"Meredith" Cristina said, hinting that it was her turn to say something.

No answer.

"There are still three seats left at this table and you're welcome to join me." The guy said.

He had an accent which made Meredith's knees weak. She sat down.

"What are you doing Mer?" Alex asked

Meredith was so in awe that she didn't think about it. When she realised what she was doing, she tried to defend her decision to sit down. "I'm hungry and want to eat my lunch now, we all can sit here."

"Mer" Cristina grabbed Meredith's shoulder "No one besides us sits at our table."

"Except from her annoying sister." Alex said, he clearly didn't like it when Maggie joined them.

Alex and Cristina started fighting.

Meredith just started to eat, when the guy started talking. "My name is Nathan, I'm an exchange student from New Zealand." He offered her his hand and she shook it.

"Meredith." She said shyly.

"Nice to meet you." He said with a smirk.

Meredith blushed. Was this guy for real? He was way too cute and charming for being a high school student.

The first thing he learned when he came to American was that his accent could get him a long way with American girls, and he planned to use it for his advantage.

"You're a senior, right?" He asked.

She nodded.

"I'm a junior." He said

"I've a class now, see you later?" He said and left.

She just blushed. Meredith couldn't focus the rest of the day.

Alex and Cristina had forgotten all about Meredith and left the cafeteria.

When Meredith finally got home she met Richard.

"Hi, you're home. How was your day?" He asked.

"Hi, it was fine." She said with a smile. Meredith smiling at home was really rare nowadays.

"From the looks of it, it was better than fine." Richard teased her.

Meredith went upstairs to her room. Richard found his wife in the living room.

"Meredith smiled when she came home." He said.

"So?" Ellis asked.

"That's the first time in months she comes home smiling. I think there's something going on. Maybe a boy?"

"Maybe" Ellis answered.

"I want to ask her, but I don't wanna be nosy." Richard said. Keeping a conversation going with Ellis about Meredith was hard.

The door bell rang, Richard went to get it.

"Hi Cristina, it's nice to see you."

"Hi Richard, Mer home?" Cristina liked Richard.

"Yeah she's upstairs." He said.

Cristina entered Meredith's room. "Ok, what happened today?" He said as she sat beside Meredith in her bed.

"What?" Meredith asked

"Why did you sit down without scaring that guy off?"

"I was hungry." Meredith tried to make excuses.

"That's no excuse." Cristina said. "If we start to let someone join us, then we'll loose the power we have at this school."

"Well I was hungry." She said.

"Hmm.." Cristina didn't believe her.

"Fine. Didn't you see the guy? He's the cutest guy I've ever seen. He's from New Zealand." Meredith said with a huge smile on her face. Now she was daydreaming.

"I didn't really look at him." Cristina was annoyed with Meredith, this was not how they rolled. They were strong young women who didn't need boyfriends in their lifes. They never talked about guys, except from Alex. He tried to get with them at first, but now he accepted that he was friendzoned.

"Dinner is ready!" They heard Richard shout from the kitchen.

"Coming" They answered.

They went downstairs and found Ellis, Maggie and Richard at the table.

"Hi Cristina!" Maggie said eagerly, she was always way too happy.

"Meredith." Ellis said.

"Mom." Meredith replied.

Maggie and Richard did most of the talking at home, and boy were they honest.

"Remember the guy I told you guys about?" Maggie asked everyone.

Everyone except from Cristina nodded. Maggie had talked about this guy a lot.

"Omg, I've to tell you about him Cristina."

"He's so cute. He has blue eyes, dark brown hair, a charming smile and an accent. I think he's a junior. I've never talked to him before, but today he said hi to me."

Meredith, Cristina and Ellis tried to pretend that they cared.

"Progress, did you say hi back?" Richard said in a supportive way. He was proud of his little girl.

"No, I was so surprised I couldn't say anything." Maggie replied.

"You can say hi to him tomorrow." Richard suggested.

"A friend told me that his name is Nathan and he's from New Zealand." She said and that's when it clicked in Meredith's and Cristina's brain. Maggie's boy was Meredith's boy.

"Sounds like a guy that every girl could fall in love with." Cristina said sarcastically clearly teasing Meredith. Meredith nearly choked on her food.

"He is SO perfect. But I'm scared to talk to him, I don't know what to say. What do you think I should Meredith?" Maggie always wanted advice from her big sister.

"Yeah Mer, what should Maggie say to Nathan?" Cristina kept teasing Meredith.

"He's too old for you Maggie. Maybe Meredith can have him if he's so perfect." That was Ellis' only contribution to the topic. "You should use your time on your education, not chasing boys."

"What do you think Mer?" Cristina said.

"We're not going to have two sisters fight over a boy." Richard said. "Now lets finish dinner."

Cristina had to go home right after the awkward dinner, and Meredith went back to her room.

Maggie came barging into Meredith's room after a couple of hours.

"He's so nice Meredith, you've no idea. I really like him, I don't know what I'm going to do."

"Do what feels right." Meredith said, and decided not to tell her sister that she had already been talking to him.

The next day when Meredith was at her locker, she saw somone approaching her from the corner of her eye. He put his hand against the locker and leaned against it. The other hand he used to touch Meredith's arm.

"Do you wanna go out with me?" She felt butterflies in her stomach when he asked.

"I can't" She answered.

"Come on, I know I definitely want to go out with you, and I've a feeling you would want to go out with me too."

"I don't."

"I don't believe you, but fine I'll leave you alone... for now." He said.

"I've to go." Meredith said and left with a smile on her face, that she was trying so hard to hide. She soon found Alex and Cristina.

"What's up with Mer?" Alex said when he saw her.

"Remember the guy from yesterday?" Cristina said to Alex.

"The guy who stole our table?" Alex clarified.

"Yes that guy... Meredith likes him." Cristina answered.

"I don't." She said when she reached them and realised what they were talking about.

"She does, but Maggie likes him too." Cristina said.

"Your sister likes him too?" Alex said grinning.

"I do not like him." Meredith said.

"Whatever." Cristina said and they went for lunch.

"Seriously? What are you doing here?" Cristina said when she saw that Nathan was at the table again.

"I want to hang out with Meredith, and she doesn't want to go out with me, so this is my only choice." Nathan answered Cristina.

"Or you could leave me alone, like you said you would." Meredith said.

"Fine... Alex, I guess we don't have a choice either." Cristina said and sat down.

Alex also sat down. Meredith just stood there, she couldn't sit down with them, she had to keep a distance from him. She really didn't understand why Cristina and Alex folded.

"Come on Mer, sit down" Nathan said.

"You don't get to call me that." She answered.

"What's up with her?" Nathan asked Cristina and Alex.

"You." Alex said annoyed.

"Her sister has a crush you." Cristina said.

"You've a sister?" He asked her.

No answer from Meredith.

"Yes she does. Maggie. She's a freshman and she actually skipped a grade, so she's like three years younger than you."

"And Mer... sorry I mean Meredith, doesn't want to hurt her sister? I wouldn't have pegged you for a family person." He said and looked at Meredith.

A couple of days passed, and Nathan kept trying to get Meredith to go out with him. He soon found out that she had no plans to do so. He still didn't know who Meredith's sister was, so he didn't think anything he did would hurt her, so he decided to show up at Meredith's doorstep.

He rang the doorbell. Ellis answered the door.

"Hello Ms. Grey, I'm sorry to disturb you. My name is Nathan Riggs and I was wondering if Meredith is home?" Nathan said.

"Aren't you a polite young guy... Meredith is upstairs, I'll let her know that you're here." Ellis didn't realise that this was the guy Maggie had been talking about for months.

"Thank you."

Ellis went upstairs after Meredith. She knocked on her door.

"Meredith, can I come in?" Ellis asked.

"Yes, the door is open." Meredith answered and Ellis came inside.

"There's a young polite boy at the door for you." Ellis said and sat down at Meredith's bedside. This was the first time in a long time.

"Did he tell you his name?" Meredith asked, she wanted her mother to confirm that it was Nathan before she reacted.

"Yes, his name is Nathan." Ellis said with a smile.

Meredith blushed when her mother answered, but then she said. "Can you ask him to leave mom?"

"Why? He seems like a really nice guy and you clearly like eachother." Ellis said.

"Remember Maggie's boy?" Meredith asked.

"Ohh that's right, his name was Nathan as well... It's the same guy isn't it?" Ellis asked.

Meredith nodded. "I didn't know when I started talking to him, and I don't know what to tell Maggie now. Cristina told him that my sister liked him, but he had no idea who Maggie is."

"Look Meredith, you and I have had our ups and downs, but I would never allow Maggie to date so much older than she is. You both might like him, but he only likes you, so it's quite simple actually. I'll talk to your sister." Ellis said and kissed Meredith's forehead.

"Thanks mom." Meredith said and went downstairs. It felt really good to have had a honest conversation with her mom again, she missed it.

"Hi" Meredith said and blushed when she saw Nathan.

"Hi, I need to tell you something." Nathan said. It sounded serious. They went outside and sat on the porchswing.

"I've liked you for a long time. That's why I sat at your table, it wasn't because I didn't know that no one else but you three sit there, it was because I couldn't see any other way for you to notice me."

"It worked." She said and smiled at him.

"Good... Do you wanna go to the mall?" He asked.

"Yes, I'll just let my mom know." She said.

 **AN: I hope you liked it.**


End file.
